The Reason
by BellaNt
Summary: USED TO BE ONE SHOT...Inuyasha and Kagome reflect on their feelings for each other after the final battle with Naraku. CH1 Songfic to Hoobastank- the Reason CH2 Songfic to Queen- You Take My Breath Away.. R&R and enjoy!
1. The Reason

A/N : Oh gosh, I about near fainted right before I posted this lol. This is my first fanfic… please be nice about it and I understand some people's need for flames, but I'm more open to constructive criticism. Please enjoy it, it kinda just 'spurted' (pardon my slaughter of the English Language) out. Next fic is in the works already

If u have anything to tell me, etc… feel free to email me at Bella_Notte_321@yahoo.com

Thanks for reading this crazy little fic :D

The Reason

It was over. Finally it was over. Naraku was no more, vanished into the dust of his final fortress. It had been a long battle physically and mentally grueling. But in the long run, how much did that matter when the final result had been to their liking?

The exhausted hanyou with silver hair and puppy dog ears leaned against the tree in front of the fire many hours into the dark night, but still unable to catch what little sleep he normally granted himself. The only thing Inuyasha had to get used to was the fact that Kikyo was gone, but over the years since her reappearance he had come to accept that she had never been revived completely … that the Kikyo he had known had never really come back to him. And since he knew she wasn't the Kikyo of his past he felt no more obligation to give the possibility for a life with Kagome, the woman he truly loves, for Kikyo. He knew the past was better left there-in the past and the only way to finally let her rest in the peace she deserved.

Inyasha sat against the tree trunk, staring into the embers of the dying fire his face betraying his tumbling emotions. The sun had set below the forested horizon hours ago and the humans of the campsite were supposedly asleep, with Miroku sleeping dangerously close to Sango on the other side of the fire … so close it suggested that the monk would be receiving a slap for breakfast in the morning. Kirara was nestled down behind Kagome to bestow some warmth on the obviously exhausted girl.

__

Kagome. She'd had the hardest time in the final battle, using every bit of miko powers she possessed in the arrow that ended up falling Naraku's minnion. Kagura had fallen to the miko's purer powers after having been assaulted by Kouga and Inuyasha in one might have described as a tag team- the first time the two had worked together. The exhausted human had collasped to the ground after the arrow had drawn to end Kagura's excuse of a life. Too tired to continue in the fight, but desperately wanting to she whispered one last word before the dark had claimed her," Inu-yash-a…." 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The next morning came too soon for the hanyou

And then the next day

And the one after that.

And before he knew it, they were at Kaede's village and Kagome was in the elder miko's hut, purifying the jewel with the wise woman. He had been outside in the night, counting the stars in order to occupy time…_Shouldn't they be done now… how long can it take? _When the tired young miko emerged from the hut with her bang shielding her eyes and her shoulders slumped in fatigue, Inuyasha had no time to stop her before she collected her belongings and went back in. Later when he sat in front of the glowing fire, talking to Kaede, she insisted that the grueling part of purifying the jewel had been hard on Kagome, and that after a nights rest she would soon feel better. _We'll talk tomorrow… tomorrow has to be soon enough_. He thought to himself before deciding to go sit on the tree and count the stars again and hope for dreams to come. Instead he thought more about her, much to his dismay.

They had all received wounds in the final battle, Inuyasha the most because of his one on one duel with the youkai Naraku. But he had healed faster than the Kagome, barely feeling a twinge every time he moved. He could tell from her scent that she was in pain, but even though she was he knew she would leave once the jewel "problem" was solved.

Away from him.

This thought enraged him. How could she not see, the stupid human girl.

Leaning against the hard bark of the tree he let out a disgruntled sigh, one obviously full of annoyance and even some sorrow._ How could she not know? Everytime I look at her I feel like I'm wearing my heart on my sleeve and only one clear look from her would reveal my every emotion; and even then she can't see._ _Everytime I look up from a task and see her staring at me with such concentration I can almost feel her inside of me, seeing all of my faults, my tragic past, and worse of all my love for her._

How can she not know?

****

I'm not a perfect person

There's many things I wish I didn't do

But I continue learning

I never meant to do those things to you

So I have to say before you go

That I just want you to know

She had to leave tomorrow. Kagome laid on her makeshift futon on the floor of Kaede's house, pretending to be asleep though her thoughts inside were nothing like her calm exterior. There was no choice in it for her. She knew if she stayed any longer it would only be much more harder to say goodbye. _Its better to leave like this. After two years of searching and being together we've said everything we need to say. Nothing else to be said…_ But in her heart she knew that wasn't true… she hadn't said goodbye. _Or that you love him._ Damn that little voice in her head. "How could he not know," she whispered out loud barely noticing she was voicing her heart, "how can he not see it every time he looks at me? In my eyes, in the way I act around him… how can he not see?" she whispered in a broken voice.

__

How can he not know?

And the troubled girl didn't notice a pair of golden eyes peaking through the window that belonged to a curious hanyou who was at the present time troubled with his own doubts quite similar to hers. And when he saw her huddled form on the futon, he thought once again the question that had been in his mind for many weeks now-

__

How can she not know?

****

I've found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And that reason is you

The next day came with the coolness that the early spring gave, the birds happily chirping and the dew newly formed on the fresh, green grass. And the village folk awakening to begin their daily routines, unknowing that the fate of a hanyou and human's heart rested in the events of that day. A mother parted with her unruly boy, off to play with his friends down the road and when they gave each other hugs, Inuyasha looked down on them from his perch on the nearest tree at the edge of the forest with what would have been considered a 'feh'. 

__

I need to talk to her today there's no way around it… I WANT to be with her. Before I know it she could be gone forever and then what would I do? Nothing… I can't even stand the thought of a life without her. 

When he heard the old miko calling him from the hut for breakfast he broke into an eager run; damned if he didn't smell ramen (A/N I have no way of knowing whether ramen is a breakfast food in Japan or not, but I couldn't make it lunch or he'd be too late. Forgive the ignorance of this author) - maybe this day wouldn't be so bad after all.

Kagome had her pack with her, her silly pink bicycle wheeling daintily along next to her the familiar sounds of the chain rattling and the tires squeaking came to her ears. But this time there was no one walking with her, no quartet of friends to keep her company. She paused along the familiar path to the well, while a lone tear made its journey down her face.

She hadn't known how to begin and when she had woken up from her troubled sleep and had seen Shippo, the tears had just started coming without her control. The kit had taken it better than expected and had barely said anything about her leaving, just given her a rib crushing hug and gently reminding her in her ear that Inuyasha would never let her go. Mistaking his sincerity for joking, Kagome had stifled her tears and hugged the little kit with all the strength she had. Sango had also shed a few tears during their good-bye and the final hug she gave Kagome had sent the younger girl for more tissues. The only solace for her was that Sango had Miroku and Kagome knew that they would certainly build a happy and loving life together. The thought of the monk brought her first smile of the day to her pale face, remembering how for the first time he had hugged her with only the intent comforting her. 

Little did she know that the monk and the demon slayer stood by the hut door, knowing Inuyasha would never let her leave.

When he leaped from the forest and saw the demon slayer and monk standing looking the opposite direction, their arms around each other and their faces showing equal amounts of sadness and hope, he knew…

She was gone.

He immediately changed direction, knowing which way she was heading. If he hadn't already known where she would be heading he would have known just by following her scent. 

He knew that scent anywhere.

__

I can't be too late

I never got to tell her

She has to know

No more of this tough exterior… the only way I'll get her to stay is if I let her know how I feel.

That's the only way she'll know.

I'm sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday  
And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
And be the one who catches all your tears  
That's why I need you to hear

Alone in the woods, Kagome was left to her own thoughts, when suddenly the little brown well appeared through the foliage that had grown on the familiar path. This was where it had all happened that fateful day. The place from where she had first emerged, both scared and in some ways excited. Excited to see where this new place was and if she would meet some new people or have some new experiences so she wasn't an ordinary school girl anymore- little did she know. 

When I first saw this place I had no idea what it would do to me. How much the different people I met would have an affect on me and the way I thought, acted, and lived. I had no idea I would fall in love.

As she turned around to survey the beautiful scenery that she knew did not accompany her time or era she thought about all the time she had spent in the feudal area. And while the young miko stood with her hip braced upon the aged wood of the sacred well, the young hanyou who dominated most of those memories appeared out of the very foliage she had walked through only minutes ago. She saw those golden eyes she loved so much and the expressive face that at this moment showed the aftershocks of panic. _He was afraid I'd leave? He came running after me? _And looking again at the man she was deeply in love with, she knew he wouldn't let her go.

And that was just fine with her.

Inuyasha saw her against the well and his heart stopped. At first her big beautiful eyes had been so full of sorrow he had stopped in stride to her. And then that gaze… the stare that could see right through his tough exterior and straight to what he hadn't wanted her to see. And he knew- 

He wanted her to see it.

He wanted a future with her.

She was enough reason to change everything he knew and loved.

He would go anywhere she asked of him to without a seconds hesitation

But he knew she wouldn't ask that of him.

And that's one more reason he loved her.

**__**

I've found a reason for me

To change who I used to be

A reason to start over new

And that reason is you

A/N : Finite!

Hoped you like it. Please be nice with the reviews, none are too mean or too brutally honest but I'm only open to constructive criticism. Thanks ^_^


	2. You Take My Breath Away

A/N: Ok, I know I said one shot, but this popped into my head as a perfect song to offer some sort of conclusion for all of those who wanted a conclusion.

To those people who reviewed or emailed me, thanks ^_^ … nothing is better than getting good feedback for a story. This is a songfic to Queen's- You take My Breath Away. If you have anything to say about this crazy fic, feel free to email me at Bella_Notte_321@yahoo.com…

Enjoy! 

You Take My Breath Away

This had to be the hardest thing he had ever done in his life. This was different of course-no battle with Naraku or Kouga or any other youkai along the jewel quest had put his heart on the line, only his body. This young, fragile girl held the most vulnerable part of him in her fragile hand.

And she didn't even know it.

Kagome stood there looking at the young man with silver hair, golden eyes, fire engine red clothes (A/N: So shoot me, I couldn't think of another adjective short of apple. hehe), and adorable puppy dog ears who stared back at her. She sat there braced against the well in the early spring morning contemplating whether this place was the place to put her heart out there, for the hanyou she loved to either accept or reject it. She was going to tell him here -where the past they could not change met the future they could not predict. 

What an appropriate place too, she thought ruefully,_ how many times I ran here. If not to think about him, then to think about what I could possibly do after the jewel was completed and Naraku defeated. And now that the time has come, I still don't know what to do. I ran here every time I saw him and Kikyo together, too foolish to face my feelings for him…_

How many times my heart has broken here.

Inuyasha stepped out of the foliage with the sun at his back and Kagome was surprised when the thought of how much he looked like an angel popped into her mind. The sun shone at his back, with his silver hair and puppy ears contrasting to the gold of the midday sun and his face in an unusual serene state.

__

It figures I would fall in love with someone who sometimes acts nothing like an angel. He can be rude, possessive, arrogant, and insufferable occasionally. She thought to himself,_ but sometimes the compassion he shows for others, and the fact that he doesn't want them to know he feels it makes it even more special. Sometimes I see little glimpses of the caring person in him, and I see sweetness in his eyes… so much that it steals my breath away._

**__**

  
Look into my eyes and you'll see   
I'm the only one   
You've captured my love   
Stolen my heart   
Changed my life   
Everytime you make a move   
You destroy my mind   
And the way you touch   
I lose control and shiver deep inside   
You take my breath away   


"Kagome" he whispered to himself, knowing she was still too far away from him to hear, but feeling the need to say something to make sure he was still able to speak. This was the perfect place to tell her, a place where he had come to think about her almost every night that she wasn't with them… when she had gone back home. This was a place that held both of their heartbreaks, both oblivious to the other's, and a place where they felt comfort.

What a perfect place to let it out in the open. He continued walking toward her until only a few feet separated the two hopelessly in love souls. He reached out, feeling the coldness of her hands even though it was only spring and the morning air was far from crisp. He could smell in her perfect scent, along with some traces of nervousness and when he took her hand he could feel the pulse pick up.

"Kagome… I don't know how to say it… I'm not good at showing people my emotions… but I want- I need- you to stay." He paused, unsure of how much to tell her and also uncomfortable with how much of his heart he was putting out to her. _She's worth it. _The thought helped the normally gruff hanyou continue with his confession, "I think I may need you more than life itself, more than the want to stay here. I would even be content to go to your world. Please, I just need you to stay with me." He paused, not sure of how to continue and instead looked into the eyes that reminded him so much of Kikyo, but that also held their own beauty. Kind of an innocence that the troubled eyes of the undead miko had not held, but not only an innocence but also a laughter… a love of life that had never ceased to amaze him.

She was his perfect match.

If an onlooker had happened onto the scene in the clearing they would have seen a beautiful black haired maiden leaning against what appeared to be a broken down well, holding the hand of what appeared to be a demon with puppy dog ears. Neither would have heard the onlooker, nor paid attention to him even if he had called attention to himself. Both were so totally absorbed in each other and their uncertainties that they wouldn't even have heard three people creeping ever closer in the woods, peaking out from behind a fallen log.

Which is exactly what an orphaned kit, a demon slayer, and a hentai monk were doing at the moment.

Kagome couldn't believe her ears. She had been so sure that Inuyasha was going to break whatever had been going on between them off before she had left for good. She had been so sure he was going to say good-bye…not be begging her to stay. Was this the same insufferable hanyou she had come to know over the years? The same one who had been so callous when it had come to showing his emotions openly, but had still shown such caring and tenderness towards her in the moments when his guard was down? 

Of course it is she thought to herself, immediately dismissing the idea as soon as it popped into her head. The old well suddenly found itself holding more weight than it had a few minutes ago, the young miko needing to put the weight that her suddenly weak knees couldn't seem to hold up. Kagome held onto his hand as though it was a lifeline between the past, the present, and the future. And she made her decision.

She could barely breathe, barely see through the tears that suddenly threatened to spill over. She could tell by the anxious look in his eyes that he was waiting for her to do something that would assure him that his worse fear wouldn't come true.

She took one step that brought the two face to face

And stepped into his arms

**__**

  
You can reduce me to tears   
With a single sigh   
(Please don't cry anymore)   
Every breath that you take   
Any sound that you make   
Is a whisper in my ear   
I could give up all my life for just one kiss   
I would surely die   
If you dismiss me from your love   
You take my breath away   


Kagome buried her face in his silver hair in the curve where his neck met his shoulder. This was the place where she had found herself sometimes wishing she could put her face just to hide from the world and its troubles. When they had happened on the horrors of Naraku's doing, she had wished sometimes that Inuyasha's arms would find their way around her, telling her it was alright. And now she was and loving him more than ever.

Inuyasha held the slender girl in his arms, wanting desperately to hug her but was afraid that by applying the pressure and crushing her against him the way he had wanted to for the past years, he would break her. _I could never break her. She has shown so much more courage than anyone I have ever known or met, so much more courage than I have._ Then he heard her whispered words and lost all thoughts running through his mind.

"Inuyasha… I think I'm… I think I'm in love with you. I'm not sure when it happened, but I want to be with you. What I told you two years ago hasn't changed… I want to be by your side forever. I never want that to change. But I've also fallen in love with this world and all of the people I have met when we traveled. I love feeling the contentment I feel here, with the people I love. I want to stay here with you and all of them"

At these words, Inuyasha lost all ability to think or speak, unable to say a word he just hugged her to him. And promised he would never let her go.

****

So please don't go   
Don't leave me here all by myself   
I get ever so lonely from time to time   
I will find you   
Anywhere you go, I'll be right behind you   
Right until the ends of the Earth   
I'll get no sleep till I find you to tell you   
That you just take my breath away   


He placed his cheek against hers perfectly content to stay like that, with her, forever. He could feel one of his hands, as though with a will all their own, travel up to her midnight dark hair and begin stroking it as she let out the tears he had been able to tell were coming . As the little miko stood in his arms, clinging to him with almost an inhuman strength, he let out a content sigh. 

The two people and the kit hiding behind the log held their breaths waiting for a falling out that would make the miko stomp off and out of their lives forever. Of course, they had suspicions that the hanyou would never let her leave, but really from what they could gather the hanyou would rather eat his own ears than admit feelings for Kagome.

When the Inuyasha had begun walking toward her across the crisp green grass and through a ray of morning sunshine, they had held their breaths and after a fair bout of whispering, the two had embraced. 

And the demon slayer's, the monk's, and the kit's hearts all soared.

They never should have doubted it. 

Inuyasha would never let her go

And Kagome would never want to.

**__**

I will find you 

Anywhere you go 

Right until the ends of the Earth 

I'll get no sleep till I find you to 

Tell you when I've found you - 

I love you 

The girl and the hanyou stood there, embracing, until they both had summoned the strength to let go. When they did, Inuyasha stared down at the young girl who had taught him that there was so much more to life. That sometimes it seemed unbearable to continue, but with the love of a good woman you could make it through even the hardest times. He stared into the deep, dark gaze of the woman he loved and let out the biggest smile of his life.

This is where he was meant to be.

Kagome looked at him, unable to stop herself from staring into the golden gaze of a hanyou who was thinking the same things as her at the moment. _How could I have doubted him? One deep look into his eyes is showing me everything he just told me. How could I have missed it?_

Inuyasha took his hand from her hair and his other from her back and gently fit her as close to him as possible. Then, taking his hands up and stroking her cheeks with them, he leaned down. This is what he had been waiting for all of these years, just one kiss. And as their lips met for the first time and his senses assaulted him the taste and smell of her surrounding him, engulfing him Inuyasha was completely content.

When he had first put his hands on her face, as though trying to memorize it by just outlining it with his hands, Kagome's heart had stopped beating. And as their lips met for the first, and definitely not the last time, her heart soared in tune with her hanyou's.

And they both lost their breath.

**__**

Take my breath, take my breath 

Take my breath, take my breath 

Take my breath, take my breath 

My love, Take my breath away.

A/N: Finite!

I hope you enjoyed it and please remember, feedback is always welcome.


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